Table
ca. 1560 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This type of wooden table with a ceramic tile top held trays of food and drink. It would have used in an Ottoman palace, set before guests who sat on a low bench, or divan, built against the walls.
Many large polygonal tiles survive from the Ottoman period, but this example is one of the very few that still serves its original purpose as a table top. It was made in Iznik, north-west Anatolia, which was known as a centre of ceramic production.
Many large polygonal tiles survive from the Ottoman period, but this example is one of the very few that still serves its original purpose as a table top. It was made in Iznik, north-west Anatolia, which was known as a centre of ceramic production.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wood, inlaid with ebony and mother of pearl; with fritware ceramic top, painted under the glaze |
| Brief description | Table made of wood faced with ebony, ivory and mother-of-pearl, the table top a twelve-sided Iznik tile, Turkey (Iznik and Istanbul), ca. 1560. |
| Physical description | Body of the table: wood inlaid with ebony and mother of pearl; the top: fritware ceramic painted under the glaze. The tile has twelve sides, but the table is constructed with spandrel-like joins between the legs so that it stands on six legs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Tile-top Table
Turkey, Iznik and Istanbul
About 1560
In Ottoman palaces, guests sat on a low bench, or divan, built against the wall. Trays of food and drink were set before them, resting on tables of this type.
Wood faced with ebony, with inlay of ivory and mother-of-pearl; fritware painted under the glaze
Museum no. C.19-1987
(2006) |
| Summary | This type of wooden table with a ceramic tile top held trays of food and drink. It would have used in an Ottoman palace, set before guests who sat on a low bench, or divan, built against the walls. Many large polygonal tiles survive from the Ottoman period, but this example is one of the very few that still serves its original purpose as a table top. It was made in Iznik, north-west Anatolia, which was known as a centre of ceramic production. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.19-1987 |
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| Record created | September 28, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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